Skip to content

Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic Hardcover - 2016

by Alice Kaplan


From the publisher

The Stranger is a rite of passage for readers around the world. Since its publication in France in 1942, Camus's novel has been translated into sixty languages and sold more than six million copies. It's the rare novel that's as at likely to be found in a teen's backpack as in a graduate philosophy seminar. If the twentieth century produced a novel that could be called ubiquitous, The Stranger is it. How did a young man in his twenties who had never written a novel turn out a masterpiece that still grips readers more than seventy years later? With Looking for "The Stranger", Alice Kaplan tells that story. In the process, she reveals Camus's achievement to have been even more impressive--and more unlikely--than even his most devoted readers knew. Born in poverty in colonial Algeria, Camus started out as a journalist covering the criminal courts. The murder trials he attended, Kaplan shows, would be a major influence on the development and themes of The Stranger. She follows Camus to France, and, making deft use of his diaries and letters, re-creates his lonely struggle with the novel in Montmartre, where he finally hit upon the unforgettable first-person voice that enabled him to break through and complete The Stranger. Even then, the book's publication was far from certain. France was straining under German occupation, Camus's closest mentor was unsure of the book's merit, and Camus himself was suffering from near-fatal tuberculosis. Yet the book did appear, thanks in part to a resourceful publisher, Gaston Gallimard, who was undeterred by paper shortages and Nazi censorship. The initial critical reception of The Stranger was mixed, and it wasn't until after liberation that The Stranger began its meteoric rise. As France and the rest of the world began to move out of the shadow of war, Kaplan shows, Camus's book-- with the help of an aggressive marketing campaign by Knopf for their 1946 publication of the first English translation--became a critical and commercial success, and Camus found himself one of the most famous writers in the world. Suddenly, his seemingly modest tale of alienation was being seen for what it really was: a powerful parable of the absurd, an existentialist masterpiece. Few books inspire devotion and excitement the way The Stranger does. And it couldn't have a better biographer than Alice Kaplan, whose books about twentieth-century French culture and history have won her legions of fans. No reader of Camus will want to miss this brilliant exploration.

Details

  • Title Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
  • Author Alice Kaplan
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Printing
  • Pages 288
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher University of Chicago Press, Chicago
  • Date 2016-09
  • Features Bibliography, Index, Maps
  • ISBN 9780226241678 / 022624167X
  • Weight 1.3 lbs (0.59 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 in (23.11 x 15.75 x 2.54 cm)
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: French
  • Library of Congress subjects Philosophers - France, Camus, Albert
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2016008498
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 10/15/2016, Page 10
  • Choice, 06/01/2017, Page 0
  • Kirkus Reviews, 07/15/2016, Page 0
  • Library Journal, 09/01/2016, Page 105
  • Publishers Weekly, 05/30/2016, Page 0

About the author

Alice Kaplan is the author of numerous books, including Dreaming in French, The Interpreter, French Lessons, and The Collaborator, the last of which was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Kaplan, Alice

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.38
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press, 2016. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.38
FREE shipping to USA
The Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

The Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Alice Kaplan

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167X
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.38
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press, 2016. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.38
FREE shipping to USA
The Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

The Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Alice Kaplan

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.38
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press, 2016. Hardcover. Very Good. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.38
FREE shipping to USA
Looking for The Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for The Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Kaplan, Professor Alice

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.50
$6.50 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press, September 16, 2016. hardcover. Very Good. 9x6x1. Each book is inspected by store owner/staff.Very little sign of wear
Item Price
$6.50
$6.50 shipping to USA
Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Kaplan, Alice

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.55
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press. Used - Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$7.55
FREE shipping to USA
Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Kaplan, Alice

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.55
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.55
FREE shipping to USA
Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for the Stranger : Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Kaplan, Alice

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.74
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.74
FREE shipping to USA
Looking for The Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for The Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Kaplan, Professor Alice

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$8.29
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
University of Chicago Press, 2016-09-16. Hardcover. Used: Good.
Item Price
$8.29
FREE shipping to USA
Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by KAPLAN, Alice

  • Used
  • Fine
Condition
Used - fine
Edition
Reprint
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
New York, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$16.88
$6.00 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016. Reprint. hardcover. fine/fine. 289 pages. 8vo, black cloth, d.w. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, (2016). Reprint. A fine copy in a fine dust wrapper.<br/> <br/>
Item Price
$16.88
$6.00 shipping to USA
Looking for The Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Looking for The Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic

by Alice Kaplan

  • New
  • Hardcover
Condition
New
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780226241678
ISBN 10
022624167X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Wake Forest , North Carolina, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$20.00
$4.50 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New. Not a remainder.
Item Price
$20.00
$4.50 shipping to USA